Something More
by CJWriter10
Summary: A story about the unfolding dynamic between Tyler and Jeremy that develops into a real romantic relationship.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Jeremy shuffled into the school hallway the following morning. It was just like any other morning. A burning sensation jabbed his stomach. Jeremy couldn't deal with everything that happened over the last year. It was bad enough that he lost his parents, yet his Aunt had to die too? That seemed beyond cruel. Jeremy just couldn't fathom life at times. It seemed like the universe just wouldn't let him be happy. He couldn't understand how good things just happened to some people while other people struggled every second of the day. It was annoying to say the least. He sighed.

He barreled down the rest of the hallway before he arrived at his locker several moments later.

Jeremy did the locker combination, after which his locker door swung open. He grabbed what he needed for his morning classes before he shoved the contents into his backpack. He didn't even care when the locker door slammed shut behind him. He tugged at the straps of his backpack while he slithered away in the opposite direction. Jeremy wasn't paying attention to anyone or anything. He ended up bumping smack into someone. He looked up at the guy. It was Tyler Lockwood. It was the person he would never want to run into. Their complicated history was no secret.

He shot him a glance. "Oh. I didn't see you there. I'm so sorry Tyler. I should have watched where I was going. It won't happen again."

Before Jeremy could dart away, Tyler grabbed his nemesis' right arm. "That's not what I'm worried about."

Jeremy furrowed an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

His cheeks became flushed with a red color. "I might be a lot of things but I wouldn't be that much of a dick. Not to you. After what happened at the end of the last school year."

A lump pricked his throat. Jeremy was unable to swallow it. "Thank you. Anyway, I don't mean to be rude or anything but I have to get going to first period. My teacher is a real asshole. He'll mark you absence even if you're a minute late."

Tyler bit his lip before he responded. "You aren't afraid of me, are you?"

His heart thumped inside his chest. "No. Of course not."

He glared at Jeremy more intense now. It was almost as if he was about to be vaporized. "Anyway, I'll see you in art later today?"

His jaw shook a little. "Yeah. That sounds like a plan."

Jeremy darted away in the opposite direction.

Tyler looked on. He would never admit it out loud, but a part of him almost cried at how Jeremy couldn't get away fast enough. He might have appreciated the fact that Jeremy was trying to be polite, but Tyler wasn't an idiot. He saw Jeremy trembling with his own eyes. An itched burned up his neck. Tyler proceeded to scratch it while he thought about Jeremy some more. He couldn't imagine what Jeremy was going through since Tyler knew that he was the last person that needed something bad to happen to him. Tyler drew in another breath. He would never admit it but he knew that he mistreated Jeremy. He wasn't proud of it. But then he realized something. He would have to do something to change things with Jeremy. There was no need to continue the same dysfunction. He would be there for Jeremy, whether he wanted him or not. There would be no debate.

Jeremy stormed into art class several hours later and almost gasped in horror when he saw that the only seat available was the seat next to Tyler. He clicked his lips together. He knew that it wouldn't be that bad. The class was less than an hour. He could do it.

He made his way over to the seat. Jeremy and him made eye contact, which lasted for a few seconds longer than it should have.

Tyler immediately took his backpack off the empty desk and placed it on the floor.

Jeremy whipped out the chair before he plopped himself down on it. He gazed at Tyler for a moment. He couldn't take his eyes off him. Tyler's muscle shirt and basketball shorts really made his appearance pop. He took his eyes off Tyler and pulled out his sketchpad from his backpack. He placed it on the desk.

Tyler turned to look at Jeremy. "Funny how we both have art in common, isn't it?"

He didn't take his eyes off his sketchpad. He just nodded his head. "Yeah it is."

His eyes widened. "You aren't going to even look me in the eye?"

Jeremy continued to sift through the sketchpad. "It's rude to stare…"

Tyler extended his arm. He gave Jeremy a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Come on Jer, it doesn't have to be like this."

His hairs pricked up on his back. "Only my close friends call me Jer. Anyway, if it's okay I'm really not in the mood to talk. If we keep talking, I'll never get this new sketch done."

"Don't you know this is an elective? You're supposed to have fun and socialize a little. Besides, I don't think the teacher really cares either way." He yanked his hand off Jeremy's shoulder. His eyes were still fixated on Jeremy even if he was unable to look him in the eye.

Jeremy took his right hand to wipe his eye. He couldn't even bring himself to respond.

Tyler's chest bounced up and down a couple of times. "I might not understand your specific situation, but I do understand grief. I lost my Dad and Uncle Mason."

"Yeah. That must have been awful." Jeremy scratched his nose for a second while he attempted to suppress a sneeze.

He returned to his sketchpad as he grabbed his pencils. He started on the still life assignment. Tyler decided not to say anything for the rest of the class. He didn't want to come off as desperate. It was bad enough that he felt something for Jeremy even if he couldn't quite put a specific word to it.

The bell rang some time later. Jeremy got up from the chair. He pushed everything into his backpack. Tyler whirled his body to face Jeremy. "If you ever want to talk or hang out the option is always there."

Jeremy didn't even have to force a smile. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jeremy skipped school the rest of the week. Alaric didn't even care about Jeremy's laziness as long as Jeremy got his assignments from his classmates. He just couldn't handle anything. His grief over Jenna wasn't a crutch to be lazy. He was really that hurt.

He missed half of the next week too. On Wednesday, Jeremy happened to be in the kitchen when the sound of the doorbell screeched the air. He darted out of the kitchen while he made his way to the front door. He glanced down at his watch as he realized that it was only 1:00 PM, which meant that school didn't let out for another hour. He couldn't imagine who it would be.

Jeremy yanked open the front door. His jaw dropped as soon as he saw who it was. "What are you doing here Tyler? Shouldn't you be in school?"

His eyes remained fixated on Jeremy. "I have 7th and 8th period free so I thought that I would come here to check up on you."

His eyebrows made half circles above each one of his eyes. "Why would you care about me? You hate me."

Tyler bit his lip. He decided that the best thing to do would be to just ignore the comment. "So why haven't you been in school? Art class has been kind of lonely."

He remained silent for a second. "I just have a lot on my mind. Anyway I have to go."

A grin twisted across Tyler's face. "Nice try."

Jeremy scoffed. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

He thought about the answer for a minute. "Because I've made a lot of mistakes and I really want to make amends. So are you going to invite me in or what?"

His heart crashed inside his chest. It got louder with each passing beat. The whole thing was too complicated for him to understand. "Fine."

Jeremy gesticulated at him to come in. Tyler shuffled into the living room. Jeremy shut the door behind him.

He turned to Tyler. His eyes scanned Tyler's body. He sniffed the air. The scent of Tyler's earthly cologne traveled into Jeremy's nostrils as it made his way through his entire body. "So what do you want to do?"

A bead of sweat crashed down Tyler's face. "Could we go up to your room to talk?"

Jeremy nodded. "Sure. Do you want anything to drink or eat?"

He shook his head in a vigorous fashion. "No. I'm good. But thank you."

Jeremy and Tyler ascended the staircase as the two of them made their way upstairs. They arrived at Jeremy's bedroom a couple of minutes later. Tyler made his way to Jeremy's bed as he plopped himself down on it. Jeremy just stood a few feet away from Tyler.

Something popped out at Tyler. He noticed Jeremy's sketchpad on the bed. Tyler grabbed it as he started to shuffle through it. "Your drawings are incredible."

He let out a loud scream. Jeremy rushed over to the bed as he tried to grab the sketchpad away from Tyler. "Give it back."

Tyler wouldn't budge. He continued to flip through the sketchbook while Jeremy paced back and forth. "Yeah. You're definitely going to get an A. No doubt about it."

A red color stained Jeremy's cheeks. "Please give it back Tyler."

Tyler grinned at his friend. "No way in hell. I think it's really nice that you're blushing. It shows your raw vulnerability."

Jeremy remained silent. There was nothing he could say.

He winked at Jeremy. "Aren't you going to come sit down on your bed?"

Jeremy sucked in a gulp of air. "I was just trying to give you some personal space."

Tyler motioned for Jeremy to sit next to him on the bed. "Come on Jer, don't be so formal."

He suppressed the urge to blush. Jeremy knew that he was grateful that Tyler was being nice but that didn't change the fact that he didn't want to seem vulnerable in front of another human being. The idea was just too damning.

Jeremy sauntered over to the bed. He was sure to leave some space between him and Tyler.

Tyler shot Jeremy a gaze. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Jeremy shrugged his shoulders. "Sure. Go for it."

He inhaled a gulp of air. "Why do I always see you by yourself at school?"

Jeremy averted his gaze. He might have appreciated the fact that Tyler was taking an interest and was being something other than his usual dick self, but that didn't mean that Jeremy was ready to spill his secrets to his enemy…or whatever he and Tyler were. "I don't know. I mean I'm grateful that Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and even Damon are nice to me, but I still feel out of place."

Laughter fell from his mouth. "You're never going to believe this but a weird part of me actually empathizes with you…I mean I don't mean to get all existential or anything but I feel like I don't fit in either. I just have this 'image' that I'm molded into. But that doesn't mean I want to become what everyone else expects me to be, if that makes sense."

"That's nice." Jeremy let out a small chuckle.

Tyler's gaze narrowed in even more on Jeremy-if that was even possible. "What's so funny Jer?"

Jeremy had to wait a minute before he got the all of the laughter out of his body. "I'm not trying to be mean. I swear it. It's just that I never knew that you knew what the word existential meant…"

He couldn't resist the urge to blush. Red spread across his face in a matter of seconds. Tyler decided to just go with it. He playfully jabbed Jeremy in the shoulder. "There's more to me than just some dumb jock."

"I might think a lot of things about you but I never said that you were dumb…" Jeremy wiped a bead of sweat from his face.

A smile returned to Tyler's face. "Okay. Good to know. I'm happy to hear that you don't think I'm dumb."

Jeremy shot Tyler a wink. "Oh really. My opinion means that much to you?"

His tongue wet his lips. "Well more than you think."

Tyler extended his arm. His hand brushed Jeremy's face. A burning sensation shot up Jeremy's back as it traveled all the way to his brain.

Jeremy didn't push Tyler's hand away. He just leaned in closer.

Tyler didn't even have a problem with it. Their lips were now less than an inch apart.

He forced a gulp of air into his body. Jeremy didn't care anymore. He lips touched Tyler's lips'. They became lip locked. It was as if nothing else mattered. They were both caught up in the kiss. Jeremy's tongue massaged Tyler's mouth.

Jeremy pulled back a minute. He let out another sigh. "So. I'm clearly fine. You can go now."

Tyler still had an amused grin on his face. "I have a better idea. I'm going to take you out for an afternoon and evening of fun."

He nodded in agreement. Jeremy smiled at the thought that he wouldn't have to dread the evening since it looked like something nice was going to happen for once in his miserable life.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Jeremy and Tyler sat in silence in Tyler's car. Jeremy craned his head while he gazed out the window. The various landscapes molded together while Tyler focused on driving.

After about ten minutes of silence, Jeremy shifted his gaze towards Tyler for a moment. His heart thumped inside his chest while it got louder with each passing moment. "You still haven't told me where you're taking me. Couldn't we have just grabbed a bite at the Mystic Grill? I'm sure that it would suffice."

A grin twisted across his face. "You really are impatient Jer, aren't you?"

Red spread across his face while Jeremy averted his gaze. "I guess so. It's just something that I can't help."

"It's kind of cute." Tyler clicked his lips together.

Jeremy just remained silent. He couldn't believe that Tyler just used the word cute in relation to him. That was definitely not normal for another guy to do to another guy. The subtext of "cute" extended beyond a simple bromance. Jeremy just bit his lip while a smirk donned his face. He might not have known where Tyler was taking him but he was pretty sure that he was going to have a fun evening.

Tyler stole another glance as he took his eyes off the road for a second. "What? You have nothing to say now?"

Jeremy's shoulders bounced up while his gaze continued to be on the road.

"One thing that I can definitely tell you is that we are no longer in Mystic Falls anymore." Tyler exhaled a breath. It wasn't long before they plowed down another road. Tyler turned right at the arrival of the new road. After that it wasn't long before he pulled into a parking lot.

Tyler and Jeremy sat at a booth at the diner several minutes later. They were across from the other.

He raised an eyebrow at Tyler. "This is where you wanted to take me? A diner?"

Tyler put the menu down while his eyes shot up at Jeremy. "It's not just some diner. My Mom used to take me here all the time when things were bad at home. This place is special."

Jeremy sighed. A burning sensation jabbed his stomach. He extended his arm as he attempted to squeeze Tyler's hand. The thing was Tyler left his hand where it was. He didn't even bother to pull it back or brush Jeremy's hand aside. "That sounds sweet."

He threw a gaze back at the menu while he rubbed his left eye with his free hand. "It was. While it lasted at least."

Jeremy perused through the menu some more. He didn't know what to think of Tyler. Tyler was the kid that tormented him a lot, yet here he was determined to make him a friend or something by opening up to him about something personal. Even Matt had never behaved like that with him.

He inhaled another breath. "Do you know what you're going to order?"

"I'm not sure." Tyler scratched the top of his head. "Maybe the Prime Rib sandwich?"

Jeremy wet his lips with his tongue. "That sounds good."

Jeremy broke off in mid sentence. Laughter fell from his mouth.

Tyler narrowed his focus. "What's so funny Jer?"

"Nothing," said Jeremy. "It's just I thought that would know what you want to order if you used to come here a lot."

Tyler gasped at Jeremy. "Oh. I see."

Jeremy stared at Tyler as he noticed that Tyler started to blush. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about it. I was just teasing you."

His classic amused grin returned to his face. "Yeah. Okay. If you say so."

The waitress arrived a minute later. She was a twenty something blonde. The woman looked at Tyler first. "Do you know what you want to eat?"

Tyler hesitated for a moment. "Yeah. I think that I would like the Prime Rib sandwich."

The woman moved to Jeremy. "And what about you?"

Jeremy didn't even have to think about his answer. "I'll have what he's having."

She smiled at both of them. "Sounds good."

The waitress shuffled away in the opposite direction as she left Tyler and Jeremy all by themselves. Jeremy almost wanted to scream at the sight of Tyler staring at the waitress's ass when she walked away but Jeremy realized that would be stupid. Tyler would never be his no matter how much Jeremy wanted him. Tyler was "straight." But Tyler and he had kissed. That really happened. There was no denying it. Jeremy just wished that he and Tyler would discuss the kiss. The whole thing was just too unnerving for him.

He shot Jeremy a grin. "What are you thinking about?"

Jeremy glanced down at the table. "Nothing important…"

After their meal the diner, Tyler talked Jeremy into seeing a movie and going out for ice cream afterwards. Tyler walked Jeremy to his front porch well after ten o'clock that evening.

He didn't even have to fake happiness. "Thanks, Tyler. I had a lot of fun."

Tyler's eyes bulged up. It was as if he was going to vaporize Jeremy with this stare. "Me too."

His chest bobbed up and down a couple of times. "You really made a difference in my life today, and for that I'm eternally grateful."

"No thanks necessary." Tyler reached over with his arm while jabbed Jeremy's chin in a playful fashion. "Besides, it's nice to see you happy for once."

A gust of wind howled in the background while Jeremy's teeth chattered. "I could be happy with you."

Tyler just stared at Jeremy. He didn't say anything.

A lump pricked his throat. "I should get going…"

"Wait Jer…" Tyler stopped speaking. He just couldn't bring himself to speak.

Jeremy crossed his arms together. "Look Tyler what the hell is going here? We kissed each other."

"You're right." Tyler pulled Jeremy in for a kiss before Jeremy could open the front door. Tyler's lips pressed against Jeremy's lips in a matter of seconds. Tyler put his hands on each side of Jeremy's head.

Tyler pulled back from the kiss ten seconds later.

Jeremy pouted. "What the hell?"

A tear rolled down his cheek. "I'm sorry I can't do this."

Tyler darted down the front porch and hopped in his car before Jeremy could even process what happened.

There was only thing that Jeremy could be sure of. He was really confused!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jeremy walked into the kitchen the following afternoon. He almost gasped when he saw Stefan, Elena, and Damon in the kitchen. He shot the three of them an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry. I didn't see you guys there. I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

Elena smiled at her younger brother. "It's fine Jer. We were just discussing new ways to kill Klaus. They might even require an alliance with Katherine, but whatever."

Damon furrowed his eyebrows at Jeremy. "So were you just trying to ease drop on us or what?"

Stefan shot Damon a look while Elena put her hand over her face.

Jeremy folded his arms together. "No dick. I was just going to make myself an early dinner."

Damon rolled his eyes. "At 3:00 PM?"

His arms were still pressed together. "Yeah. I have a lot going on?"

Stefan shot Jeremy a glance. "Everything okay Jeremy?"

Jeremy was able to suppress the urge to cry but he still couldn't speak. The only thing he could do was to shake his head in a vigorous fashion.

Stefan continued to make eye contact with Jeremy. "Are you sure you're fine?"

"Tyler Lockwood kissed me." He didn't even care about blurting something out. He just needed to tell someone.

The three of them just looked on with interest.

Jeremy couldn't suppress the urge to cry any longer. Clear blobs splashed down his face. "I can't do this. I'm going to go to the Grill."

He shuffled out of the room without another word. More drops fell down his face. His sobs grew louder even when he left the room.

Damon glanced at Stefan and Elena. "I'll go talk to Jeremy."

Elena's eyebrows inched up her face. She almost choked on a gulp of air. "I don't know if that is such a good idea."

"And why the hell not?" asked Damon. He started to frown.

Elena ran her fingers through her brunette locks. "Well you aren't exactly the most tactful person…."

Damon let out a mocking pout. "I'm plenty tactful. You tell him Stefan."

Stefan put his hand in the air. "I'll go talk to Jeremy."

He lunged towards his brother. "Well you better hurry up. He's probably at his car by now."

Stefan flew out of the kitchen before Elena and Damon could even catch their breaths. He stepped foot on the front porch to find Jeremy seated at the table. Stefan darted over to him. He gave Jeremy a pat on the back. "I thought that you were going to the Grill?"

Jeremy rubbed his right eye. "I was. I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

He pulled out the extra chair and plopped himself down in it. "Do you want to talk about the Tyler thing?"

Jeremy was quiet. At least for the moment! He expelled a violent sob. "No. It's fine. I'm sure you don't want to talk about it since it's a gay thing."

Stefan shot him a stern look. He placed each one of his hands on Jeremy's shoulder. "Look Jeremy, I don't care if you're gay. I just want you to be happy."

He winked at his sister's lover. "That's very big of you Stefan."

His eyes were still glued to Jeremy. "I'm serious. Anyway, you still haven't told me about the Tyler situation."

Jeremy's chest expanded and contracted. "We shared a couple of kisses and held hands once from across the table and it also feels like we've flirted a little."

Stefan chuckled at Jeremy's confession. For once he was glad that he was dealing with a light issue and not something as life and death as killing Klaus. "That's good you kissed, no? It seems like you like him."

He sobbed some more. His screams mixed in with his outbursts. "Yes, but he pulled back from the last kiss. I don't know maybe I'm stupid and it's all in my head and he's just using me. But he did go out of his way to be nice to me. Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle."

"From what it seems like, Tyler does like you. Maybe he's just in the closet. But as difficult as it is, you are never going to get an honest answer unless you talk to him." His eyes widened. "I mean I know it's scary but you just have to do it."

Jeremy rested his hand under his chin. "What if I don't like what he has to say?"

"Then at least you have your answer," he responded. "But you'll never unless you talk to him. But there's a real possibility that he likes you back."

He gazed down at the ground. "That's true. Anyway, I better get going…"

His eyebrows made half circles above each one of his eyes. "I take it you aren't going to the Grill?"

"No. I'm not." Jeremy got up. He pushed his chair in. "I have somewhere more important to go."

Jeremy arrived at the Lockwood mansion half an hour later. He stood on the front steps. He pressed the doorbell.

The door yanked open a moment later to reveal the guy. "What are you doing here Jeremy?"

He rolled his eyes at Tyler. "We need to talk. We kissed twice. You can't tell me that it didn't mean anything to you because it sure as hell meant something to me."

Tyler tucked his hands together. "You should go. I'm not gay. I can't be."

Jeremy inched closer. His sneakers scraped the ground. He extended his arm. Jeremy's hand rubbed the right side of Tyler's face. "I didn't ask you to label your sexuality. I just want you to admit that what you feel for me is real."

Tyler stuttered for a brief moment. "It doesn't matter…"

He knew that he had to stand his ground. "Don't be a dick and push everyone out again. Not this time. You've come too far."

A lump formed in his throat. Tyler couldn't swallow. "You should go Jeremy."

Jeremy scoffed at his crush. "Fine. See if I care."

"Wait Jer." Right as Jeremy was about to walk away, Tyler gently grabbed Jeremy's arm. Tyler was finally looking Jeremy in the eye. "I know you want to kiss me."

He let out a scream. "You can't do this Tyler. Either you're attracted to me or not, but you can't play it both ways."

Tyler sighed. "You're right. It's not fair to you."

He pulled Jeremy in for a kiss. His lips pressed up against Jeremy's lips. They both got caught up in the moment. Nothing else mattered.

They both pulled away from each other. The two of them had smirks on their faces.

Jeremy winked at Tyler. "So are you going to take me back to your bedroom or what?"

Tyler grabbed Jeremy's hand. The front door echoed behind them when it slammed shut. Tyler continued to guide Jeremy while they ascended the staircase.

They arrived at the bedroom a minute later. Tyler made sure to lock the bedroom door behind them.

Tyler and Jeremy became lip locked. Tyler moved his hands up while he lifted Jeremy's shirt off his head. The shirt fell to the ground. It wasn't long before the both of them lost their clothes.

Jeremy was on his back while Tyler was lying on top of him.

He looked into Jeremy's eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Jeremy bobbed his head at Tyler. "I've never been more sure of anything."

Tyler flipped Jeremy over so that he was now lying on his stomach. Jeremy arched his body while Tyler leaned up against him. The bed shook while Tyler glided up and down Jeremy.

They were both on their backs ten minutes later.

A tear rolled down Jeremy's cheek.

Jeremy mesmerized Tyler since Tyler just couldn't help himself. "That was amazing Jer."

"Yeah it was." Jeremy's head collapsed onto Tyler's chest after Jeremy scooted over to Tyler.

Tyler ran his fingers through Jeremy's hair while the two of them cuddled. Tyler just couldn't believe it. He was finally happy for once."


	5. Chapter 5

_**The relationship between Jeremy and Tyler continues to evolve. They make a great couple! PS I'd appreciate a review **____** Enjoy!**_

Chapter Five

Jeremy walked through the school parking lot the following morning with a smile on his face. His tryst with Tyler Lockwood remained etched in his brain. He still couldn't believe that he and Tyler finally had sex. He was glad the moment came. Jeremy knew that he and Tyler shared a connection for a long time. The aggression was just an excuse to cover up how they really felt about each other. There was also the fact that they always seemed drawn to each other. It was certainly interesting to say the least. But he was glad that Tyler proved him wrong. There was a real person inside him even if it took awhile to find.

He shuffled down the rest of the parking lot as he made his way to the front entrance of the school. Jeremy continued to have a grin on his face. He just couldn't help but be happy. He didn't even care about seeming cliché. Enough bad things had happened in his life. He deserved to be happy even if it was over a boy. Jeremy was about to turn in the direction of the school entrance when someone tapped his back.

Jeremy whirled his body around to see who it was. "Hi Tyler."

Tyler jabbed him in the shoulder in a playful fashion. "You snuck out of my room this morning."

A red color stained his face in an instant. "I wanted to save you the embarrassment of running into your Mom."

"Why would you do that? I'm not ashamed of my feelings for you Jer." He flashed Jeremy a grin.

Jeremy sighed. "I know, and I'm grateful for that, but I was still unsure about where exactly you were with sorting through your sexuality issues."

He rolled his eyes. "Well I appreciate your concern Jer, but I have a feeling that everything is going to be okay."

"If you say so." Jeremy scratched the back of his neck as soon as a burning sensation pricked it.

He continued to have a chuckle on his face. "I know so."

His eyebrows inched up above each one of his eyes. "Wow. It must be nice to be Tyler Lockwood."

"It is." Tyler let out a faint laugh. "Because I have a hot boyfriend."

His chest bounced up and down a couple of times. "That's good."

Tyler winked at him. "Don't believe me? What more do I have to do to prove to you that I want to be with you?"

Before Jeremy could say anything Tyler pulled him in for a kiss. Tyler's tongue massaged Jeremy's mouth. Tyler placed his hands on each side of Jeremy's face.

Jeremy sniffed the air while his nostrils took in the mixture of Tyler's sweet cologne. Tyler wasn't done with Jeremy yet. He continued the kiss for another few seconds.

Jeremy didn't care. It was as if nothing else mattered. He would have liked to think that his parents would have been happy with him for finding someone.

They pulled back from the embrace.

Jeremy's tongue wet his lips. "Wow. That was something."

"Still don't believe me? I'm not done proving it." Tyler grabbed Jeremy's hand. The two of them slashed up to the front entrance of the school building. Tyler didn't even care when people stopped and stared at them in the hallway. None of that mattered. Jeremy made him happy. His connection to Jeremy was the realest thing in his life. He couldn't believe how he had been such an idiot to be involved with Vicki and then have a "flirtationship" with Caroline. But none of that mattered now.

The two of them darted down the next hallway. They arrived at Jeremy's locker a couple of minutes later.

Tyler yanked his hand away while he pulled Jeremy in for another kiss.

"Anyway, I have to go meet with my guidance counselor but let's have lunch together later today baby," said Tyler after he pulled away from his latest kiss with Jeremy.

A grin widened across his face. "Sounds like a plan."

Tyler blew Jeremy a kiss before he darted away.

A guy slithered over to Jeremy. "Someone is in love."

Jeremy shifted his body around to see the person. "Hello to you too Matt."

Matt beamed at Jeremy while he tugged at the straps of his backpack. "So is there something I should know Jer?"

Red splashed across his face. He couldn't help but blush. "Yeah. I'm in love with Tyler Lockwood."

His eyes narrowed in on Jeremy. "Wow. I didn't know that you two were gay."

Jeremy's jaw lowered a little. "Is that a problem?"

Matt shook his head in a vigorous fashion. "No. Not all."

He continued to grin at Matt. Some things were worth being happy about. "Good. I'm glad."

"I only have one question?" asked Matt.

His eyebrows crawled up his face. "And what's that?"

He burst out into a hysterical fit of laughter. "When is the wedding?"

Jeremy's face might have already been red, but the shade increased with intensity. Oh how he could kill Matt. "Very funny!"


	6. Chapter 6

_**I know that it's been a little while, but finally a new chapter in my FanFic. Things begin to develop more as a potential conflict emerges. Reviews would be appreciated **____** Enjoy! **_

Chapter Six

Jeremy dashed into school several mornings later. He couldn't help but have a grin on his face. He knew that it might have been silly to take comfort in falling in love, but he couldn't help it. He finally had something to be happy about even though he'd been through a lot of shit. The most surprising thing of all was that Tyler Lockwood was the person that brought him comfort. The whole thing was just strange. He barreled down a corridor.

Jeremy caught Tyler by his locker a moment later.

"Hi sexy." Jeremy still had a smirk on his face when Tyler whipped his body around.

Tyler pulled Jeremy in for a kiss. He put his hands on each side of Jeremy's face. They continued their embrace for a good couple of minutes before they finally pulled back from each other.

Red exploded across his face. "There's something that I needed to ask you Tyler."

He furrowed an eyebrow. "And what would that be Jer?"

His jaw shook a little. "Alaric and Elena want to have you over for dinner tomorrow night."

Tyler winked. "That could be arranged."

"You don't mind coming over for dinner?" asked Jeremy.

He didn't even have to think about his answer. "Of course not. You know I would do anything."

Jeremy bit his lip. "I just hope that they still trust you even though you are sired to Klaus."

He shook his head in a vigorous fashion. "That doesn't mean anything. I'm not going to give Klaus any loyalty. I would die before doing that."

Laughter fell from his mouth. "Don't say that Tyler. If you die than no will be able to give me pleasure. And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Tyler leaned in while he began to whisper something in his ear, "No need to worry Jer. That's never going to happen."

Jeremy's heart thumped inside his chest. He could feel each one of Tyler's passing breaths. Beads of sweat crashed down his face. If it weren't for the fact that the two of them were in the school hallway, Jeremy would have insisted Tyler have him right then and there.

Matt trekked down the hallway a moment later. He made his way over to the two of them. "Hi guys. What's going on?"

Tyler coughed into his left arm. "Hi Matt."

The red color returned to Jeremy's house. He almost exploded into a fit of laughter. "Matt."

Matt lifted his eyebrows at the two of them. "I didn't interrupt a moment, did I?"

Tyler waived his hand through the air. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. Jer was just telling me that Alaric and Elena want to have me over for dinner."

Matt flashed a smile at the two of them. "That sounds like fun."

Tyler almost choked on a gulp of air. "I hope that Damon and Stefan don't come."

"I'm sure they will," replied Jeremy. "Especially now that Stefan has his freedom back, he and Elena have been spending a lot of time together."

The following night, Jeremy, Tyler, Alaric, Damon, Stefan and Elena were all seated at the dining room table at the Gilbert house.

Tyler shot Alaric a gaze. "It was good that you decided to just order pizza. There's less pressure that way."

Damon finished the bight of crust that was in his mouth before he spoke. "I couldn't agree more."

Jeremy's eyebrows made an arch shape. "I still don't understand why Damon's here."

"I invited him." Alaric downed the rest of the glass of his Bourbon.

Jeremy shook his head in a vigorous fashion. "There's no need for him to be here."

Tyler drew in a breath. "It's fine. It's not really a big deal."

"That's true. And don't worry I'll kick his ass if he gets out of line." Stefan tugged at his black leather jacket.

Elena pushed a lock of her hair out of the way. "I'm sure that won't be necessary, will it Damon?"

Damon shot Elena a gaze. "Of course not."

Elena gulped down some of her diet soda before she responded. "Good. Because there's no need to fight."

Stefan threw his focus back to Jeremy and Tyler. "You two make a cute couple."

"Thank you." Jeremy extended his arm as he gave Tyler's hand a squeeze.

Damon made eye contact with Alaric and then Elena. "If you two aren't going to do it I will."

Elena gave Damon a dirty look. "Please don't."

Jeremy's eyebrows almost slid off his face. "What are you guys talking about?"

Alaric glanced back at Damon. "Maybe we over thought the issue. Maybe there isn't a problem."

Damon scoffed. "Are you really going to let Jeremy date one of Klaus' minions?"

Jeremy looked at Tyler. He couldn't help but gasp at the fact that Tyler completely ignored Damon's comment. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Damon narrowed his focus. "Jeremy, call it concern but we don't think that this a good relationship."

Opaque blobs fell down from his eyes. "Is this about me being gay?"

Alaric glared at Jeremy. "No. Of course not. We don't have a problem with that, do we Damon?"

"Being gay isn't the problem. It's just too risky." Damon almost vaporized Jeremy with his stare.

Jeremy got up while he threw his napkin down on the table. He looked at Stefan for a moment. "And what you're here to play good cop?"

Stefan put his hands in the air. "Don't look at me. I told them it was a big mistake."

"This is such bullshit," continued Jeremy. "The moment I become happy you guys want to take it away from me. That's fucking ridiculous just so you know. I mean do you know how long I have had to watch the Elena show, no offense Elena?"

Jeremy looked at his sister for a brief moment.

Elena just remained silent while she pressed her right hand against her face.

Jeremy's face exploded into a violent shade of red. There was a difference this time though. He wasn't red because of embarrassment. He was genuinely annoyed. "It's fucking ridiculous how everything in Mystic Falls revolves around keeping Elena safe. It's like oh no Katherine came to town what are we going to do! And then Klaus comes to town. And then there's the fact that I have to watch the Elena Stefan Damon love triangle even though it's got to be one of the unhealthiest dynamics ever. I'm so fucking tired of it! I just want a normal life, or as normal it can be. So you know what, you aren't going to take this away from me too. I already lost my parents, Jenna, Anna and Vicki."

Jeremy didn't even bother to push in his chair. He just stormed out of the kitchen.

Stefan couldn't suppress the urge to laugh. "Well that went well."

Elena frowned at Damon and Alaric. "I told you we shouldn't have done this."

Tyler looked at all of them. "I can't believe you. I hope you're happy with yourselves."

Damon rolled his eyes at Tyler. "Just don't sit there dumbass. He's your boyfriend. Go find him."


	7. Chapter 7

** Chapter 7**

Jeremy ended up wandering to Wickery Bridge. He just couldn't handle being around the toxic environment at his house. It was just too much for him. It had nothing to do with being mad at Tyler. He could never be mad at Tyler. Tyler meant too much him, which made the betrayal at dinner even worse. Jeremy had come to accept Damon as a friend. But saying that he shouldn't be with Tyler? That crossed the line. Jeremy was tired of always being treated like a child. He wasn't a little kid anymore. He lost his parents and Aunt Jenna. Childhood had been over for a long time.

The wind roared in the background, picking up while the trees swayed in the wind. He looked up at the sky to see that it was all drenched in blue without even a hint of white.

He shrugged his shoulders. The idea might have been outdated, but Jeremy always appreciated nature. There was something about the simplicity of it. Nothing else seemed to matter.

Tyler popped back into his head. The smile finally returned to Jeremy's face. That was something to hold onto. Jeremy would never forget Tyler. He couldn't. The tears returned to his face after thinking about the dinner for a second time.

"Jeremy?" called out a voice.

Jeremy whipped his body around to see who it was. "What are you doing here Tyler?"

His face drooped a little. "Please don't jump off Wickery Bridge Jer. You mean too much to me. You deserve more than for your obituary to say that you committed suicide."

Jeremy's jaw lowered, expelling a gasp. "I'm not here to kill myself. I just needed to get away for a bit. Please don't tell me the others are coming…"

Tyler sighed at his boyfriend. "No. They aren't. They just know that I'm looking for you. They don't know anything else. I would never betray you."

He furrowed an eyebrow. "How did you know that I would be here?"

Laughter fell from his mouth. "I guess you didn't realize that there was more to your boyfriend than being a dumb jock? Well surprise! I actually paid attention when you told me that you like to come here to clear your head."

Jeremy swallowed the burning feeling in his throat. "I never thought you were dumb."

Beads of sweat trickled down your face. "I just want you to know I thought the dinner was bullshit too. Nothing can keep me from you. I will never stop fighting for Jer. You have to know that."

He bobbed his head. "Yeah. I know that. I just needed to hear you say that out loud."

A smile twisted across his face. "Now will you please get off the bridge and give your sexy boyfriend a kiss?"

Jeremy didn't even bother to roll his eyes. Tyler was the only person who he'd let be cocky. Tyler was his everything.

He shuffled off the bridge, getting closer to Tyler. A few moments later Jeremy was standing on the grass by the side of the road.

Tyler pulled Jeremy in for a kiss. His tongue massaged his boyfriend's mouth. He wrapped both of his hands on each side of Jeremy's face.

Something slashed through the air. They pulled back from each other.

The man's mouth widened, revealing fangs. "What do we have here? Two victims I guess."

Jeremy's heart pounded inside his chest. He wondered if Tyler could hear him.

Tyler stepped in front of Jeremy, as if to protect him. He craned his head to his boyfriend. "Run, Jer!"

"Fuck that!" Jeremy whipped something out from his pocket. He lunged over to the vampire, driving the wooden stake through the vampire's heart. The vampire's body made a loud thump when he hit the ground.

Tyler grabbed Jeremy's hand, giving it a squeeze. "Come on let's get out of here."

Jeremy stared Tyler down. "I don't want to go back home. I hate them. I hate all of them."

Tyler expelled a long breath. "Of course. Let's go back to my place. You can stay the night and the next day, and the next-if you want."

He flexed a grin. "Sounds like a plan."

Jeremy followed Tyler back to his car. They got in the car in an instant.

Before Jeremy knew it, a clunky sound scraped the air after Tyler started the ignition. The smile remained present on Jeremy's face. He was with Tyler. Some stupid run in with a vampire didn't matter. He'd be fine. And if he weren't, Tyler would be there to help him.


End file.
